Muskegon, MI – The Dubuque Fighting Saints (8-1-0-0, 16 pts) fell 4-3 on Saturday night to the Muskegon Lumberjacks (8-2-0-0, 16 pts) in their first defeat of the season.
The Saints fought back after a one-goal deficit to begin the third period with two goals in 2:23 from Michael Barron and Teddy Merrill. Barron scored just 44 seconds into the final frame to tie the game before Merrill's team-leading eighth goal put Dubuque in front in the first four minutes of the period.
Despite the two quick goals, the Lumberjacks answered with just under nine minutes left to tie the game at three on a wrist shot from Viktor Norringer. Then, with 5:40 left, Muskegon's Rudolfs Berzkalns pounced on a rebound in front of Vojtech Hambálek to give the Jacks a lead they never relinquished.
In a back-and-forth game between the top teams in the USHL, Dubuque scored first. It was the seventh time in nine games the Saints scored the first goal of the game. The ice-breaker came with 39 seconds left in the first, when Merrill set up Masun Fleece for his sixth goal of the season.
Muskegon took charge in the second, killing an early Dubuque power play and then capitalizing on offense. Carter Sanderson scored 2:05 before Drew Stewart gave the Jacks the lead on a power-play goal. Dubuque finished the game scoreless on three power-play chances, while Muskegon scored once on its pair of chances.
Hambálek made 27 saves in his first loss of the season, dropping to 5-1-0-0 this season. Carl Axelsson stopped 22 Dubuque shots for the Lumberjacks.
Dubuque's season-opening win streak ended at eight games on Saturday. It finishes as the second-best win streak to begin a season in Fighting Saints Tier-I history. The eight-game win streak finishes just behind the 2012-13 team's nine-game streak and ahead of the 2013-14 squad's seven-game streak.
The Saints return to action on Friday to begin a home-and-home series with the Madison Capitols. Friday's matchup will be the second meeting in Middleton, Wisconsin this season before the teams return to Dubuque on Saturday.
